About Us

About Us2 December,2014museum.admin

The Kent Firefighting Museum has been established as a voluntary organisation started by a group of forward thinking individuals passionate about our Kentish firefighting heritage. The group, now established as TRUSTEES, is committed to ensure that all this is preserved and documented as a legacy for the future. The Charity Commission officialy confirmed on June 27, 2014, that Kent Firefighting Museum is a registered charity: Number 1157631, as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) status to provide and deliver the Aims of the Museum.

Now that the Registered Charity status is in the process to sign the transfer of all items over to the museum.

THE MUSEUM IS NOW OFFICIALLY OPEN TO THE PUBLIC… We were delighted that the Rt. Hon. the Baroness Blackstone, Patron opened the Museum. As an aside, Baroness Blackstone’s father, Geoffrey Vaughan Blackstone (formerly Chief Fire Officer of Hertfordshire FB) was the author of the History of the British Fire Service. This connection continues the family connection with our fine heritage.

The successful GRAND OPENING ceremony was held on Saturday, August 30, 2014 at the Woodlands with over 300 people attending.

The museum is open 7 days a week from 1000 to 1600.

While a predominant part of the history that is documented relates to the Kent Fire Brigade and Kent Fire & Rescue Service, the museum is not affiliated to nor funded by KFRS or the Kent & Medway Towns Fire Authority. Through the tough economical times the Trust needs to be totally independent to survive and develop for the future benefit and interest of all our visitors.

Aims of the Charitable Trust: “To advance education for the public benefit in the subject of firefighting in Kent, its history and heritage by the establishment and maintenance of a museum and learning resources”

Aims of the museum

1. To establish and support a museum open to the public, which displays historical firefighting appliances, equipment, artefacts, photographs and documentary records relating to the history of firefighting in Kent.

2. To preserve and conserve firefighting appliances, equipment, artefacts, photographs and documentary records loaned to, donated to or acquired by the museum.

3. To create an educational resource describing the history of firefighting in Kent, and to provide a permanent record of the provision and work of public, private and industrial fire brigades in the cities, towns, villages and industries of Kent.

4. To promote public awareness of the dangers of fire and in fire safety matters generally.

Our Website

1. A means to promote the Charitable Aims and the Aims of the Museum.

2. A means to bring together those who share a common interest in Fire Service history and to share information through photographs, historical facts, artefacts and memories.

3. To serve as a reference point for those undertaking general or specific research related to the Fire Services of Kent.

4. To provide a free, simple and quick access/information to fire service history in the county.

As a point of interest: this photograph was the formation group of “The Old Comrade’s Association” that was officially launched on September 13, 1958.

Artefacts and Equipment

If you have any firefighting artefacts,photographs or equipment, particularly relating to Kent, that you would to donate, display or even negotiate to sell, please use our E-mail page and let us know.